Truck.



J. E. MUHLFELD.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APBJZ, 1013. 1,073,812 Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 s ETS-SHEET 1.

L5" l 41| ,In um [if I W. l J m m23 E5 C lD W \r r/ J. E. MUHLFELD.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APRJZ, 1913.

1,073,812. Patented sept.23,191s.

JOHN E. MUHLFELD, 0F SCARSDALE, NEW YORK.

TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1913.

Patented Sept. 23,1 913.

serial No. 760,660.

To all @1v/10m 1f-may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. MUIILFnLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scarsdale, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of trucks for wheeled vehicles and` especially to such as are designed to be used for freight and other railway cars, locomotives and locomotive tenders.v

The increased and advancing weight and capacity of railway rolling stock, coupled with the limitations imposed by the Federal Government as to the height of draw-bars above the tops of the track rails, has made it a most difficult and serious problem to provide suiiicient vertical space for truck springs of adequate capacity. In trucks of the designs generally in service this lack of vertical space for the reception of proper springs has resulted in multiplying poorly designed, short and inadequate truck springs in order to attain sufficient aggregate spring capacity to meet requirements. This attempted solution of the difficulty has led to the location of the springs in 'disadvantageous and improper lpositions and, in the effort to sufficiently increase the capacity of the spiral ysprings employed without increasing their height` has also commonly led to the use of b-ars of spring material having too large a cross-sectional area compared to the diameter of the spring formed therefrom. As will be readily appreciated, these short and inadequate truck springs, having an insutiicient range of deflection, frequently break or become permanently set and, under the repeated shocks imparted to them by the sustained load, close up solid and thus transmit very great strains and stresses to the wheels, journals and other parts of the truck and vehicle which are not yieldingly supported, as Well as to the track rails over which the car is passing. By preventing these excessive.l strains breakages and accidents may be in a great measure obviated.

In addition to being open to the objections and disadvantages already pointed out, trucks of the now' extensively used diamond frame type are open to the further objection that, although the axles thereof can be maintained in reasonably good tram, it is diflicult to maintain such axles in square or at right angles to the truck frame and the track, the result being to augment the friction on wheel flanges and journals and, consequently, to produce rapid wear and tear that is most undesirable from the viewpoint of safety and is very expensive in respect to operation and maintenance.

It is the purpose of my present invention to produce a truck in which the several objections heretofore noted are overcome by affording sufficient vertical space for the advantageous location of adequate truck springs m alinement with the centers of the journals and by providing means whereby the journal boxes are maintained in proper vertical, transverse and longitudinal position and tram and are maintained in exact square with respect to the truck sideframes.

It is also the purpose of my invention to produce a truck in which the spring borne member that sustains the car superstructure shall be at all times free to vibrate with rel spect to the truck side frames and journal boxes, wheels and axles, whereby, through the elimination of clamping or binding of the journal boxes to the spring sup-ported portion of the truck and car superstructlue, the tendency of the spring borne parts to lift the Weight from the wheels and cause derailment when the brakes are applied is overcome, and whereby also the journal boxes, wheels and axles are constantly free to follow the surface and alinement of the track.

A further object of the invention is to promote safety against accident by prevent- .ing the spreadingof the truck axles through the operation of means which extend from the spring-borne member of the truck over the tops of the several journal boxes in such manner that the spring-borne member by which the supersturcture is supported will maintain the journal boxes, Wheels and axles in proper position under the superstructure and on the track in the event of the breaking of a truck spring or the truck sideframe.

Still further objects of my invention are to produce a truck in which the required spring capacity is capable of attainment by the use of a small number of springs which may be arranged in alinement with the centers of the journals on the respective sides of the truck; to effect a reduction in the totie bars and the like to be dispensed with;

to decrease the unyieldingly supported weight on the track; to permit the facile removal and application of wheels and axles without the necessity of disassociating the truck side frames and spring supported truck member and without disturbing the springs; to decrease the strains and stresses lon the side frames by obviating Athe concentration of the weight of the spring-borne portion of the truck and superstructure at the centers of the side frames; to provide increased clearance between the truck and the upper `surface of the track rails and track;

and to aiford great flexibility of movement of the individua-l wheels and journals, permitting ready conformation to track irregularities and thereby decreasing the liability of derailment.

Generally stated, the principal objects of my invention, as before noted, are effected by employing a pair of side-frames, each of which contacts all of the journal boxes on one side of the truck, and by combining therewith a truck center frame which is yiel'dingly supported thereby through the intermediacy of springs and which movably contacts all of the journal boxes of the truck, said center frame being preferably also provided with :a lplurality of'laterally extending hooked members constituting safety horns which are adapted in case of the breaking of springs or side frames to engage their respective journal boxes, but which normally stand over the journal boxes in such position as not to interfere with the proper and usual vertical vibrations of the center lframe when the truck is in service. Such a construction embodies the principal features of my invention.

There are also minor features of invention, resi-ding in particular combinations and details of elemental construction, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the V`claims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car truck embodymg my 1nvent1on, a portionl of the center-frame being broken away to more clearly disclose the details of construction of the end of the preferred form of sideframe; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the truck illustrated in Fig. 1, the journal boxes and a portion of the center-frame being omitted; Fig. 3 is a Vertical section of the truck, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1; F ig.4 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, illustrating the relation of the side-frames and center-frame to the journal boxes; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective' view of a portion of the centerframe; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a journal box engaging portion of one of the side-frames; Fig. 7 `isa detail View illustrating the relation of the center-frame to the journal boxes; Fig. 8 is a detail view,

partly in elevation and partly in vertical' section, illustrating the relation of the sideframes and center-frame to the journal boxes; Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of a portion of a side-frame embodying my invention, showing the applicability of integrally attached journal boxes; and Fig. 10 is a detail view in side elevation illustrating a modified form of my invention in which laminated, semi-elliptical springs are employed, one-half of a side-frame and the corresponding portion of the center-frame being shown in assembled relation.

Corresponding reference characters indica-te similar parts throughout the several Views.

I will now proceed to 4describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

As both halves of the truck on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis are customarily and preferably of identically the same construction, it will be necesary to describe but In the drawings, l indicates thel sideframes and 2 indicates the center-frame or spring-borne member of the truck. Each end of each side-framel is preferably provided with a yoke 3 which preferably contacts and embraces three sides of the adjacent journal box 4, the latter being detachably securedin the yoke by means of a vertically extending thimble-bolt 5 which passes through suitableapertures in the outer ends of the upper and lower branches of the side-frame yoke and through a yokethimble 6 that engages the outer face of the journal box and thus secures the latter within the yoke. A nut 7 and flat split-key 8 may be conveniently used to retain the thimble-bolt 5 in lace. Instead of detachably securing the journal boxes Ll to the sideframes, journal boxes 9 which are integrally united to the side-frames, as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, may be employed if desired.

As more particularly shown in Fig. 1, each side-frame 1 is preferably supported on the adjacent journal boxes in substantial vertical alinement with the centers of the corresponding journals of the axles, and bctween the journal boxes each side-frame is provided with a plurality of suitable springseats l() constituting means for retaining the truck-springs 11 in assembled `relation with respect to their respective side-frames. The side-frames, which for convenience of manufacture may be formed as a single integral beam or girder, preferably extend directly from onejournal box to the other on the corresponding side of the truck, the central portion of each side-frame' being approximately at the height of the bottoms of the adjacent journal boxes and the spring-seats 10 being arranged on opposite sides of the transverse axis of the truck with their centers preferably in horizontal alinement with the centers of t-he truck journals.

Yieldingly supported on the side-framei-= l by means of suitable interposed springs, such, for example, as the spiral springs 11 shown in the principal figures of the draw-- ings or the semi-elliptic, laminated springs l2 illustrated in Fig. 10, is a center-frame 2 upon which the car body or vehicle lsuperstructure is mounted. As shown, this center-frame 2 is referably formed as a transversely extending bolster 13 which may be provided with a center-bearing 14 and sidebearings 15 such as are usually employed to support the superstructure of a car. Rigidly connected to the bolster 13, as, for example, by means of the longitudinally extending center-frame members 1G that are provided with the spring-seats 17 for receiving the upper ends of the truck springs 11, are a plurality of vertically extending' pedestals 18 which slidably contact the corresponding vertical faces on the inner sides of the respective journal boxes and thus operate to maintainthe wheels and axles and truck in proper square. These pedestals 18 are preferably provided with removable cast iron facings or shoes 19 for receiving the wear, a simple manner of suitably securing the shoes in place being, as more particularly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, to recess they body of the pedestal so as to form upper and lower shoulders 2O and 21, respectively, for sustaining the shoe vertically and to provide the shoe with a vertically extendingl rib or tongue 22 which [its into a corresponding groove olivchann'el formed in the body of the pedestal 18.

In order to more certainly insure the maintenance of the truck in square, as well as for the purpose of preventing the centerframe from transmit-ting to the journal boxes any strains tending to force the axles out of their pro er positions normal to the sides of the truc t, it is preferred to employ two downwardly extending pedestals 18 for each journal box, the pedestals being arranged to Contact t-he journal box on opposite sides of the adjacent side-frame yoke 3.

ixtending over the top of each of the journal boxes, at a suflicient heightto permit the normal vertical vibrations of the center-frame 2, is a safety horn 23 which, if desired, may be provided at its outer end with a downwardly projecting lug 24. These hooked safety horns are preferably integrally connected to the longitudinally extending members 16 of the center-frame 2. Should a truck spring break or become disassociated from the truck or should a sideframe l be broken, one or more of the safety horns 23 will come into contact with the top of its journal box and the proportionate weight of the center-frame 2 and superstructure will be directly borne by such journal box or journal boxes. Should a sideframe lbreak, the engagement of the lug or hook 24 at the outer end of the safety horn 23 with the outer face of the journal box will prevent the journal box and wheels and axles from spreading, as will be readily understood.

It is preferred to apply the brake shoes to the inside of the wheels of the car truck heretofore described so that when the brakes are applied the pressure of the brake shoes against the wheels will be in a direct-ion such as to force the journal boxes away from the faces of the pedestals 18 of the center-frame 2, thus preventing the clamping of the journal boxes to the pedestals and thereby allowing the center-frame to freely vibrate and the wheels and axles to freely follow the surface and alinement o-f the track when brakes are applied. To this end each of the side-frames 1 is preferably provided on its inner side with inte rally attached brake hanger suspension brac ets 25 each of which may be conveniently formed with a perforated and bifurcated upper end that receives a hanger pin 2G which pivotally supports a suitable brake-head hanger 27 for suspending the usual brake-head and shoe. As none of the brake rigging is suspended from the center-frame 2 1t will be seen that the braking pressure acts to oppose and prevent any tendency of the center-frame 2 and journal boxes to bind upon eachother, the result being that the vibrations of the centerframe, superstructure and other springborne parts have no tendency to cause derailment of the truck by lifting its wheels from the rails.

Except that in the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 9 the journal boxes 9 are integrally united to their side-frames, and except that in the modification illustrated in Fig. 10 the side-frames and centerframes are provided with suitable springseats 28 and 29, respectively, for the receptionof the semi-elliptic, laminated spring 12 and the usual spring-band 3VO, the construction of trucks embodying such modifications may be otherwise precisely the saine as heretofore described.

I claim:

1. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, of side-frames which respectively Contact the journal boxes on the corresponding sides of the truck, means for supporting the superstructure of a vehicle, and yielding means'interposed between the side-frames and the superstructure supporting means, said superstructure sup orting means havinfr contact with journa boxes on opposite l l als sides of the truck, and the portions of the side-frames and superstructure supporting means which contact the respective journal boxes being overlapped vertically.

2. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, of side frames respectively connected to the journal boxes on the corresponding sides of the truck, connected devices for respectively engaging ournal boxes on opposite sides of the truck, and yielding means interposed between the side-frames and said connected journal box engaging devices, said connected devices for engaging the journal boxes extending downwardly below said yielding means.

3. In a truck, the combination with wheels, axles and journal boxes, of side frames each of which is connected to all of the journal boxes on the corresponding side of the truck, a center-frame for supporting the superstructure of a vehicle, and yielding means interposed between the sideframes and the center-frame, said centerframe having portions for contacting all of the several journal boxes on both sides of the truck, said portions extending downwardly and vertically overlapping the corresponding journals of the several axles.

4. In a truck2 the combination with journal boxes, of side-frames respectively contacting the journal boxes on the corresponding sides'of the truck, a center-frame provided with a plurality of pedestals for each journal box of the truck, and yielding means interposed between the side-frames and the center-frame.

5. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, of side-frames, a center-frame for supporting the superstructure of a vehicle, and yielding means interposed between the side-frames and center-frame, said centerframe being provided with a plurality of members each of which extends above and in vertical alinement with an adjacent journal box.

6. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, wheels and axles, of side-frames, a center-frame for supporting the superstructure of a vehicle, and yielding -means interposed between the side-frames and the center-frame, said center-frame being provided with a plurality of members each of which extends over an adjacent `journal box and is provided with means adapted to move into engagement with said adjacent journal box to prevent the spreading of the journal boxes,r wheels and axles.

7. In a truck, Ahe combination with journal boxes, wheels 4and axles, of side-frames contacting the journal boxes on corresponding sides of the truck, means for supporting the superstructure of a vehicle, and yielding means interposed between the superstructure supporting means and each side-frame, the central portions of the journals on the same side of the truck and the yielding means on the corresponding side of the truck being in alinement, and t-he superstructure supporting means being provided with portions which movably engage the corresponding journal boxes and which vertically overlap the corresponding journals.

8. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, of side-frames having yokes extending over and engaging the corresponding journal boxes and also having their central portions approximately at the height of the bottoms of the adjacent journal boxes, means for detachably connecting the journal boxes to their respective side-frames, a center-frame having a transversely extending bolster portion and a plurality of members rigidly connected thereto and extending longitudinally toward the respect-ive journal boxes, and springs interposed between the side-frames and the corresponding longitudinally extending members of the centerframe, said longitudinally extending members of the center frame being provided with vertically extending portions which engage the adjacent journal boxes below said springs. l i

9. In a truck, the combination with Wheels, axles and journal boxes, of sideframes respectively connected to the journal boxes on corresponding sides of the truck, a center-frame having on both sides of the truck pedestals which contact the inner faces of their respective journal'boXes and which vertically overlap the corresponding journals, and means vfor yieldingly supporting said center-frame on said Sideframes.

10. In a truck, the combination with journal boxes, of side-frames respectively connected to the journal boxes on corresponding sides of the truck, a ,center-frame having pedestals on both sides of the truck for movably engaging the inner faces of their respective journal boxes, springs interposed between the side-frames and the centerframe, and means mounted on each of said side-frames for supporting brake devices.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. MUHLFELD. 

